On Tuesday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot issued an unreserved apology to the Rajasthan High Court for his recent comments in which he alleged widespread corruption in the judiciary, including higher judicial institutions.

A panel consisting of Chief Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava instructed Ashok Gehlot to formally document his unconditional apology in the form of an affidavit. This affidavit would be reviewed as part of the ongoing proceedings. The Court also acknowledged the gravity of the matter under consideration.

The case has been scheduled for additional hearings on November 7, during which the Court is expected to make a decision regarding the apology submitted by Gehlot. The Court was in the process of reviewing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that had requested the commencement of contempt of court proceedings against Gehlot due to his statements.

According to the plea submitted by advocate Shiv Charan Gupta, Gehlot's statements were considered as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation of the judiciary. Consequently, he urged the Court to initiate proceedings on its own motion (suo motu) by invoking its authority under Article 215 of the Indian Constitution.

On August 30, Gehlot made the claim that corruption was widespread within the judiciary and went on to suggest that lawyers were involved in drafting judgments for judges to deliver.

The statement given by Gehlot in a conversation with the media stated,  “today, the corruption taking place within the judiciary is so terrifying. I've heard that a lot of lawyers write judgments and take them along to court, where the same are pronounced.”

On September 2, the High Court issued a notice to Gehlot, instructing him to submit his response in the contempt case.